Tennis racket press



Dec. 12, 1950 J. H. WEINGARTEN TENNIS RACKET PRESS Filed March 26, 1946 INVENTOR. Jack H. Wemgar'ien ATTOPNEV Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a tennis racquet press.

Broadly, it is an object of my invention to provide a racquet press which will maintain a pressure upon the tennis racquet and will accommodate racquet frames of varying thicknesses. A further object of my invention is to provide a racquet press which is tensioned upon the racquet frame by a simple operation, and which will release the pressure instantaneously upon a manual movement of a pivoted arm.

A further object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive press for racquets which is simply constructed, easily assembled, and simple in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide adjustable means to accommodate racquets of different thicknesses, and to vary the tension upon the racquet head as desired.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of my invention, reference is had to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the racquet press showing a racquet within the press in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the press shown in Fig. 1, in section taken through line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken through line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a central edge view of slat it taken through line i-i of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, numeral i represents a racquet press consisting of a base member H which may be constructed of wood and comprises upper and lower pieces 12 and I3 and side members Hi and [5, the said members l2 to i5 inclusive being joined together at the corners thereof. Although I prefer to make the base member of wood, such member may be made of plastic, metal, composition, or like materials.

Across the upper portion of the base member there is a horizontal member It which is attached to the outside edges of side members I3 and I5 by narrow metal plates l'!ll, the said plates having holes at their opposite ends and screws or rivets 18 extend through the holes in the plates I1 and into the side edges of the slat l6 and the side members I4 and I5, thus permitting the horizontal slat Hi to pivot or move up or down and higher or lower. In the central portion of slat i6 and in the lower edge there is a slot is and a hole 36 extends transversely through the slat I6 and the slot IQ.

Horizontally across the lower portion of the base member ii there is a slat 2B which is pivotally joined to the edges of the base member by plates 2l-2i, having holes therethrough at their opposite ends with screws or rivets it passing therethrough and into the edges of the slat 2t and the lower portions of the side members i i and I5, permitting the slat 253 to move up or down, higher or lower. Running through the central portion of the slat 21] there is a hole 22 to receive a tension bolt 23.

A metal member 2 having a hole at its upper end and a curved portion 25 at its lower end with a finger lug 23 bent upward at right angles at the lower end is attached at its upper end by inserting the member Z iinto the slot l9 and by passing a rivet or pivot pin 21 transversely through the hole 36 of slat l6 and the hole in the upper end of member 23 so that the member 24 may pivot about the rivet 21, the slot 19 permitting movement of the metal member to either side. Another flat metal member 28 having a right angle bend 29 at its edge to act as a stop is attached by rivet 30 to metal member 26 approximately at its midpoint, while the lower end of member 23 is attached to the upper portion of the tension bolt 23 by rivet 3! so that metal member 23 may be pivoted at either end. The tension bolt 23 is threaded and passes through the hole 22 as hereinbefore described. Lock nuts 32 and 33 are used to adjust the tension bolt 23 since nuts 32 and 33 are on opposite sides of the lower slat 23.

In order to use the racquet press hereinbefore described, the finger lug 25 is moved to the right which causes member 28 to also move to the right and take the diagonal position as shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. Rivet 3! exerts an upward force upon tension lug 23 bringing the lower slat 2i! upward and to a greater distance from the base member I I. When lug 26 is moved to the right it also causes upper and lower slats l6 and 20 respectively to move together and to move further away from the base member H, thus providing a larger opening for the racquet head 34 to enter between the upper and lower slats l3 and 2B and the base member H. The racquet head 34 is moved upward until the sides of the frame contact the narrow metal plates I! at the upper side portion. The finger lug 26 is then moved toward the center until the inside edge 35 contacts the inside edge of the stop member 29. By this action member 28 falls vertically in line with metal member 24 and the tension bolt 23 and causes the slats l6 and 20 to move apart and towards the base member, thus clamping the racquet head 36 firmly in position between the base member and slats l6 and 20.

In the event it is desired to use the racquet press for a thinner or thicker frame the nuts 32 and 33 are adjusted to move the tension bolt 23 either upward or downward, depending upon whether the tennis racquet is thicker or thinher, and applying the desired clamping tension upon the racquet frame. For a thinner frame, or if greater tension is required upon the racquet head, the lower nut 33 is loosened and the upper nut 32 is tightened, thus bringing the slats I 6 and 28 further apart so that the space between the base member H and the slats l and 2G is diminished. For a thicker frame, or a reduction in tension upon the racquet head, the spacing of the nuts 32 and 33 from the rivet 32 is changed, depending upon the result desired.

Of course, before the racquet head is placed within the press, any type of racquet cover may be placed up the racquet head to prevent moisture and dust from affecting the gut or" the racquet head.

My press takes in a large variety of shapes and sizes of racquet eads. However, for smaller racquet heads, such as badm nton racquets, squash racquets, and similar racquets used for other games, the size of my press can be varied accordingly by the use of the operable members without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and the arrangements oi parts without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination in a racquet press having a base member and upper and lower clamping members, linkage connections betr-veen said upper and lower clamping members at the central portions thereof, said linkage connections comprising an upper central vertical member bent at its lower end to form a finger piece, said upper central member pivotally attached to the center of said upper clamping member, said upper vertical central member pivotally attached to one end of a lower central member, stop means upon said lower central member for stepping said upper central vertical member, the opposite end of said lower central member pivotally attached to an adjustable tension bolt, said tension bolt attached to the central part of said lower clamping member, opposed plates pivot ally attached to said base member and said upper and lower clamping members, said linkage connections acting as a lever manually operable to open and close said press.

2. In combination in a racquet press having a base member and upper and lower clamping members, linkage connections betw en the central parts of said upper and lower clamping members, said linkage connections comprising an upper central vertical member bent at its lower end to form a finger piece, said upper central vertical member pivotally attached at its upper end to the center of said upper clamping member, said upper central vertical member pivotaily attached to one end of a lower vertical central member stop means upon said lower central member for stopping said upper central vertical member, the opposite end of said central lower member pivotally attached to a threaded tension bolt, said tension bolt passing through a hole in the center of said lower clamping member, nuts seated on said tension bolt on each side of said lower clamping member for adjustment of said tension bolt, plates movably attached to said base member and said upper and lower'clamping members, said linkage connections acting as a lever manually operable to open and close said press.

3. In combination in a racquet press, a base member, upper and lower clamping members, lever linkage connections connecting the central portions of said upper and lower clamping members, said linkage connections comprising an upper central vertical member bent at its lower end to form a finger piece, said upper central member pivotally attached to the center of said upper clamping member, said upper vertical central member pivota .y attached to one end of a lower vertical central member, stop means upon said lower central member for stopping said upper central vertical member when said upper member is moved into alignment with said lower member, the opposite end or" said lower central member pivotally attached to an adjust- .bie tension lug, said tension lug attached to the central part Of said lower clamping member,

opposed plates pivotally attached at their ends sai base member and said upper and lower and said upper and lower clamping matogether.

4. In combination in racquet press, a base in her an upper and lower clamping memmeans, adjusting means and rering m ans comprising a lever connected to d upper and lower clamping members at the central portions thereof for opening and closing press, said lever comprising an upper central vertical member bent at its lower end to form a finger piece and a lower central mem her, said upper central member pivotally attached at one end to the center of said upper 1g member and at a point between its ends pivotally attached to one end of said lower central member, stop means upon said lower central member for stopping said upper central vertical member, the opposite end of said lower pivotally attached to an stable tension lug, said tension lug attached to the central part of said lower clamping member, oppos plates pivotally attached at their ends to sai-c. base member and said upper and lower clamping members for movably holding said base and said upper and lower clamping members together.

JACK H. \VEINGARTEN.

CBS CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,796,595 Flower Mar. 17, 1931 2,167,566 Curry July 25, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS l92,9i'" Great Britain Feb. 15, 1923 5,433 Australia Sept. 27, 1927 of 1 l7 421,14 France Jan. 16, 1933 (Addition to 713,914) Great Britain Dec. 18, 1934 427,265 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1935 47%,646 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1937 

